Dec. 30, 2006

Lafayette-SDSU Postgame Quotes in PDF Format
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Recap |  Final Stats |  Notes | Post Game Press Conference

SAN DIEGO - San Diego State Head Coach Steve Fisher
On the game:
"We played a team tonight that the more tape we watched, the more respect we had for Lafayette. The record is not something you would look at and say `Boy, they are going to be a tough out.' They played Indiana in the second round of the NIT (Season Tip-Off), were down two points with six minutes to go in the game and Indiana went on a 22-2 run to finish the game off. This is a team that shoots three's. They shoot them well and find ways to get looks. They are very well coached, so this was a game if you look at it and say why was it as close as it was, because Lafayette played well. We are going to have to play the way we played and then some for every game that we go out (and play) in the Mountain West Conference. This was good preparation."

On having reduced the team's turnovers:
"That is what we have to do. You win when you get into the level that we are at now - 11, 12, 13 turnovers. If you can keep it there with the pace that we try to play at, I think that would be about all that we could ask for. Richie Williams had twice as many assists as he did turnovers. He had eight assists. I know he could have eliminated two turnovers - one he dribbled off of his foot and another one got swiped away from him. Two to one assist-to-turnover is also quite good. If we want to win we have to keep our turnovers down and continue to manage ourselves when stress hits. We have a tendency to have some turnovers in flurries. We were better at it tonight."

On winning his 300th game:
"It makes you feel as if you have been in it for a while. Not as long as guys who are going for six, seven, eight, or nine hundred, but as a coach you don't' think a lot about it. I'm sure we will get a ball, put it up and reflect back on it as we are walking on the beach 20 years from now. I am hoping that I am here when we get 400 and it won't take too long to get there."

On the team's offensive rebounding versus Lafayette:
"This was a team that others had been able to get second-chance opportunities for baskets and we challenged them (the team). Somebody has to get three, four or five offensive rebound putbacks. (Mohamed) Abukar did a great job, I think all three of his were for baskets and (Jerome) Habel got four offensive rebounds. We are a team that is an okay rebounding group, but we need to rebound at that offensive end like we did tonight."

San Diego State Forward Mohamed Abukar
On the game:
"Lafayette is a really talented team. They shoot the ball real well. They came out with a lot of energy tonight. We did a good job of countering that at times. We did a good job of scoring the ball, but we still need to improve defensively. Overall, it was a good team victory. We shared the ball well and everybody was happy with each other. Defensively we feel like we need to step it up a notch going into conference (play)."

On his performance:
"Coach (Fisher) told us that this was a team that we could get offensive rebounds on coming into the game tonight. So that was something I tried to do, get some easy points. I think that is something I need to improve on, getting some more tip-ins and offensive rebounds. It's a way to get some easy buckets. I just wanted to come in tonight, focus on that and it worked out tonight."

San Diego State Guard Brandon Heath
On taking care of the ball:
"We all know that turnovers are a big part of any game you play. You have take care of the ball in order to win ballgames. We know in the past couple games that we have been turning the ball over quite a bit, averaging around 20 (turnovers). We know that's an area that we have to get better at and we're working on it every day in practice."

On Coach Fisher's 300th victory:
"I'm happy for Coach Fisher. Everybody knows that our relationship goes a lot farther than basketball. Anytime he achieves something, I am more happy than anybody else. I am glad he got his 300th win and I am glad I was a part of it. "

San Diego State Guard Richie Williams
On taking care of the basketball:
"We knew turnovers were a big issue of ours and today, taking care of the ball, gave us more shot opportunities. It kept us together. You can't play mistake-free basketball, all you have to do is weather it and that is what we did today."

Lafayette Heach Coach Fran O'Hanlon
On San Diego State:
"Well, they're very athletic and their guys are hard to match up with. They're a very good basketball team."

On the game:
"There were breaking points for us where we just really had to really dig in a little bit and really get some stops, and then we got some good shots, some timely shots. Everybody did a really good job for us. Everest (Schmidt) did very well, he had a couple offensive rebounds there that were terrific, he established a post back and forth. I saw a lot of good things."